Atomic Heart is out now and players are eager to explore the gorgeous atompunk ode to BioShock. This time the game takes the exceptionalism to the USSR, the other emerging superpower from World War II. It explores a similarly optimistic take on where they’d take their resources, only for it to plunge into similar chaos.
While the worldbuilding, historical, and aesthetic influences on the game are intriguing, some mechanics can be confusing at first. If you’re having trouble getting past an early part where you must use the Scanner in Atomic Heart, you’re not alone.
How to Use the Scanner to Progress in Atomic Heart
Be sure to double-tap and then hold the RB or R1 button to use the Scanner in Atomic Heart. This, among other functions, can help you identify enemy weaknesses and plan your attacks. If you’re playing but understandably zone out while the robot describing the tech goes far too much into detail on how to position your hand, you’ll likely miss this detail and be left wondering how to progress.
Related: How to Load a Weapon Cartridge in Atomic Heart
Simply holding the button down without double-tapping is handy for automatically grabbing stuff in your environment. The game makes intuitive use of its controls, giving you an array of environmental interaction options.
Uses for the Scanner in the Game
Beyond simply using the Scanner to analyze your environment, you’ll find it helpful for navigation and mapping out nearby rooms and points of interest. This can allow you to stay aware of your surroundings, and potentially spot cabinets or containers you may have thought you fully searched but still have items in them.
The scanner is an interesting implementation of the worldbuilding present in Atomic Heart, a sci-fi alternate vision of an alternate Soviet 20th century. It includes vast advancements in robotics, ambitions for space travel, and an interesting take on neural networks. Be sure to equip yourself as you brave the harsh world concealed beneath all the utopian bliss in the opening.
